


Teasing Isn't Funny, Uncle Jim

by ravager_of_dwarves_and_elves



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Sweetness, Uncle Jim, little angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-09 14:28:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravager_of_dwarves_and_elves/pseuds/ravager_of_dwarves_and_elves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joanna McCoy is teased at school for having two 'fathers'. Jim comforts her and explains that gender and race don't matter, it's just love. Please read for some Bones/Kirk love</p>
            </blockquote>





	Teasing Isn't Funny, Uncle Jim

**Author's Note:**

> I love Star Trek! This is my second Star Trek fic and second McKirk family fic...please read and tell me if you love it! I don't own the characters-unfortunately! I would have smashed their faces together sooner if I did!! Happy reading! Love to all

By the time Joanna McCoy got up to get ready for school, her father, Leonard, was gone. He had been taking more and more shifts at the hospital and Joanna only got to see him when he came home from work. She sighed heavily as she tumbled out of bed. Uncle Jim would have to do her pigtails. She opened her pale pink door and wandered down the hall to the kitchen where she found Uncle Jim-wearing one of Bones' Mississippi State tshirts and faded jeans with the knees gone-putting a stack of pancakes on her plate at her place on the kitchen counter.

At her loud yawn, Jim turned to her with a smile. "Joanna Banana! How'd you sleep little darling?" Uncle Jim was too happy this morning, Joanna thought. 

"Very good, Uncle Jim." She slithered up the chair that was in front of her place mat and dug voraciously into her pancakes with strawberries on top. Uncle Jim was a good pancake-er. Once she was finished with her pancakes and Jim was finished with his coffee, Joanna broached the subject of hair.

"Uncle Jim, since daddy left so early, will you do my pigtails?" She looked up at Jim through her eyelashes and how the hell was Jim supposed to say 'no' to that sweet face? She saw his will crumble before he nodded. "Yes, Jo-Jo Bear, I'll fix your piggy tails."

"PIG-tail, Uncle Jim." She said as she took his hand and led him to the bathroom. Joanna stood on the toilet top and handed Jim four different ponytail holders. Jim set to work brushing and braiding and fumbling with the sections of hair and the result, to say the least, was disastrous. Joanna looked in the mirror and inspected the braids and Jim held his breath. If Joanna didn't like them, he'd gladly redo them, but it might result in them being late for school. Joanna nodded a few times before turning back to Jim and wrapping her skinny arms around his middle.

"Thank you, Uncle Jim." She said into the soft material covering his stomach. 

"You're welcome Jo-Jo. Now, what are we going to wear to school? Jeans? Skirt? Dress?" Joanna put a finger to her chin, contemplating very thoroughly, because it was a very important decision to make when you were eight. "Dress and tights." She finally decided and Jim scooped her up in his arms and carried her to her room where he pulled out three different dresses and two different pairs of tights. 

"You're choice kiddo." Joanna looked over the dresses then at the ponytail holders in her hair and decided on the green dress with purple flowers on it and a long sleeved purple shirt to go underneath with green tights. Jim found her little pair of black boots and handed them off before leaving the room.

When Joanna was finished getting dressed, she traipsed downstairs where Jim was ready with her backpack and lunchbox in one hand. "Ready kid?" Jim asked, holding out a hand for her to take. Jo took it easily and they walked out of the house and down the street. It was only a few blocks from the house that Bones had bought and the school that Joanna went to. At the front door, Jim gave Joanna her backpack and lunchbox and kneeled down in front of her. 

"You be good today, Joanna. Okay?" Joanna nodded before throwing herself into Jim' arms and squeezing. "I like it when you take me to school, Uncle Jim. Daddy hasn't been squeezing me as tight this week." He felt the little huff of her breath as she exhaled against his neck. "I know, Jo-Jo." Jim pulled his arms a little tighter around her. 

Joanna finally pulled out of the hug before kissing her Uncle Jim's cheek and rushing inside the school where her friends were waiting. Jim stood up and began the trek back to the house. 

************  
It was a few hours later when Jim got a phone call. He was in the middle of putting together a bookshelf for Bones when his cell began to ring. He pulled it out of his back pocket and answer?

"Hello?" Jim tilted his head to make the phone fit between his cheek and shoulder.

"Mr. Kirk?" A woman asked tentatively when he answered. 

"This is Captain Kirk, who may I ask is calling?" Jim's nerves were suddenly taut as he waited.

"This is Kelley Winston, principal from San Francisco Elementary School. I'm calling on behalf of Joanna McCoy. You were her next in line to call. Her father was not able to be reached and-"

"Wait, wait, wait. What's happened? Is Jo-Jo alright? Is she hurt? Has something happened at school?" Jim had dropped everything at Joanna's name and was currently on his way to the hall to get is leather jacket and shoes on. He didn't think they would appreciate him coming in barefooted. 

"Joanna has been in a fight, Captain Kirk and has been suspended for the rest of the week. We need someone to come and get her and take her home." The woman replied and Jim's heart sunk. 

"Shit." He said aloud before continuing. "Alright, I'll be there in ten minutes." He hung up the phone. "Oh, Jo-Jo. What have you gotten yourself into?"

Jim was at the school in seven minutes, having run part of the way. When he entered the office, he found Joanna looking forlornly down at the carpeting as she stroked one of her tattered braids. Her purple shirt was dirty, one of the straps on her dress was torn, her tights had both knees gone and she had only one of her new boots on. 

"Jo." Jim said and Joanna looked up immediately and Jim could see the purpling around her right eye and the little trickle of blood coming from her split lip. Jim went to kneel in front of her and buckled the strap on her boot. "Joanna, what happened?" Joanna turned her face away from Jim to look at the door to the office. 

He looked around when the principal's office door opened. 

"Captain Kirk?" She asked and Jim stood like he had been shot. "Come in please."   
Jim walked inside the office quietly and sat down in the chair offered him. 

"As you can see, Joanna got herself into a fight during playtime with a new student. Joanna told me that the student was taunting her and eventually, provoked her into hitting the other girl. Joanna didn't tell me what the other girl said. In fact, she hasn't spoken since she was pulled off of the other girl. Both girls have been suspended for the remainder of the week." 

At this point, Jim was looking down at his hands-clasped gently in his lap. He looked up at the principal. 

"And the other girl?" He hedged.

The principal smiled and said, "Worse for the wear after Joanna got a hold of her." She replied. Jim nodded once before standing up. 

"What should I say to her? I think suspending her is punishment enough and Jo-Jo doesn't really do anything at home except play outside and draw and read. Those aren't things Leonard and I are willing to take away from her..." He trailed off and looked back at Ms. Winston. 

"I think you should just take her home, clean her up, and just be with her." She replied and Jim nodded before exiting the office. "Jo, get your stuff and let's go." He said with a sigh. Joanna hopped from the chair and pulled her backpack on before grabbing her lunchbox and walking out the door. Jim was stunned. Joanna had never just left him before. He huffed.

"It's probably her home life." A voice said behind him and he turned to face the receptionist. "Excuse me?" Jim asked, eyebrow and voice raised.

"I'm only saying, Captain. I was reading a study that said that children with two of a type parent are more likely to have home and school problems. You and Leonard are very close friends and Joanna calls you Uncle-" she was cut off by Jim stepping up to her desk.

"Leonard and I are not friends. We are partners. For life. We may not be married and we might not ever get married, but he is my partner and I am his and Joanna is happiest with all three of us. She likes having two fathers and there's nothing wrong with that." Jim finished with the woman and walked out quickly where Joanna was waiting outside. He offered his hand and Jo eyed it carefully before sliding her hand into his. They walked home slowly and arrived in time for Joanna to watch a few more cartoons while Jim fixed her some macaroni. 

"Jo-Jo, how bout I get you a bath going and you get cleaned up?" She nodded from the couch and Jim headed upstairs and drew water into the tub. He called for Joanna and she slowly walked up the stairs. Jim leaned down and kissed the top of her head before exiting. Jim pulled out his cell and shot a text to Bones.

*Jo got into a fight at school. Don't panic. I think I know what it's about. Don't come home angry. I'll see you in a few hours. I love you, Bones*

Joanna came down around twenty minutes later in a pair of leggings and a tshirt. She climbed in her chair and sat there quietly. Jim went to the bathroom and got the med kit and came back to the kitchen. There was nothing to do about her black eye-the bruise had already formed- but he swabbed her cut and swollen lip. Once he was finished, he left to put the kit up and Joanna began to eat her macaroni. 

Jim came back and watched her eat for a few minutes. He breathed a sigh of relief when she finally relaxed and looked at him. "Uncle Jim, is it wrong for you and daddy to be together?" 

Jim blanched. He knew this would happen one day, had even made a speech with Bones about it, but he was not prepared for this. This was a conversation he was supposed to have with Bones, not without him. "Jo..." He sighed before rubbing a hand over his face. 

"Some people say it is, Joanna. Obviously, your daddy and I don't believe that, otherwise we wouldn't be together. Is that why you got into a fight at playtime?" Jim asked and waited as Joanna moved her small hands across the table top. She finally nodded. 

"There's a new girl in my class and she saw me hug you this morning. Some of he other girls told her that I was lucky to have two daddy's instead of none and when she heard, she came over to me and shoved me. She said, 'You live in a house of freaks!' and she kept on and on and on. Teasing and teasing and teasing. Teasing isn't funny, Uncle Jim, so that was when I hit her. Just like you showed me, Uncle Jim." Joanna looked up into Jim's eyes and smiled gently. "She told me that it was wrong and unbiblical to live in a house with two men and that I was going to go to Hell. I don't want to go to Hell, Uncle Jim." her eyes teared up and Jim gathered her up in his arms and held her close. Her little legs wrapped around his waist and the heels of her feet dug snugly into the meaty part of his lower back. 

"No, Joanna, you are NOT going to Hell. I promise you that. Your daddy won't allow it and I won't allow it." She tucked her head into his neck and just let him hold her.

"I love you, Joanna McCoy. Okay? Having two fathers or one daddy and an uncle like you have, isn't a bad thing. If someone loves someone else-no matter of gender or race-they should be allowed to love that person. Okay? I love your father and I love you and that's all you need to know." He began to walk with her in his arms to the living room. 

"Now, how about a Disney movie?" Jim put her on the middle sofa cushion and left to change into more lounge appropriate clothes. He came back in wearing flannel pants and a clean tshirt with thick socks on his feet. Joanna had Beauty and the Beast on the holo and was wrapped in her blanket. He plopped down next to her. A few minutes into the movie, his cell chirped. It was Bones.

*I've taken the rest of the week off. We'll take a trip to Los Angeles with Jo. We need a rest period. I'm bringing home takeout. On my way home. Love you*

Jim replied with,  
*Okay. I've already talked to her about it. Just come home and lounge and cuddle with us*

Bones' reply was swift.  
*That sounds perfect. :)*

About an hour later, Bones walked in, dressed in his hospital whites. Substances Jim didn't want to think about stained the uniform. Bones dropped the takeout bag in Jim's lap before hurrying upstairs to get a shower. Jim followed. He found Bones stripped to his boxers, sitting in the bathroom floor, leaning against the bathtub. Jim sat shoulder to shoulder with him and leaned over to kiss Bones' temple. 

"Are we doing something wrong, Jim? Is this harming Joanna?" Bones barely breathed the words. Jim sighed and leaned his head against Bones' shoulder. 

"If I thought that, then I wouldn't be here with you, Leonard. If I thought that my relationship with you- friendwise or otherwise- would harm that sweet child downstairs, then I never would have asked you out back at the Academy. I love you Leonard and I know that you love me, and that's enough in my opinion." Jim shrugged before standing.

"I'll leave you to it. I'm gonna pass out food." Bones nodded before standing up, stripping his boxers off and climbing into the shower. Jim left to get back to Joanna.

"I paused the movie for you Uncle Jim. I know how much you love the song that Beast and Belle sing." Joanna looked at him over the couch cushion.

"You know it, Jo-Jo Bear!" Jim crowed and commenced to sing along to the song in a high pitched, way off key voice that had Joanna giggling and rolling on the couch, clutching her tummy. 

Bones appeared suddenly, wearing sweatpants and a tshirt. His hair glistened where it was still wet. He smiled at Joanna and brushed his hand over her head as he passed around the couch. 

"Is there any room for me Joanna Banana?" Bones asked quietly and Joanna looked up like a deer caught in a set of headlights. She nodded quickly and moved to sit on the middle cushion. Bones flopped down beside her and pulled her gently into his side. "I love you, Joanna." He said before kissing her forehead and letting her go. 

Joanna seemed to relax after that. She seemed to have not expected Bones' quiet nature. Jim grinned. He guessed it was a good thing that he had texted Bones ahead of time. Jim passed out sweet and sour chicken with rice to Joanna, spicy General Tsao's chicken with lo mein to Bones and settled into a plate of sesame chicken with egg drop soup. They ate and watched the rest of the movie in silence. After Beauty and the Beast was over, Joanna looked at the time. 

"It's bedtime," she said and began to scoot off the couch. 

"Jo," Leonard stopped her when he caught her wrist in his hand. "I think we can watch a few more movies tonight. You don't have to go to school, Uncle Jim doesn't have to go to Star Base-" Joanna quickly interrupted him.

"But you have to go to work tomorrow and us watching a movie would make you sleepy at work." Leonard shook his head and smiled, leaning forward to place his takeout box on the table and scooping Joanna into his lap.

"I'm not going to work the rest of the week, Jo-Jo. I took off so that we-the three of us-could spend more time together. We're gonna watch movies and pig out the rest of the night, we're gonna sleep in tomorrow morning and then we're gonna take a trip. It'll be fun, now, go put on another holo." He kissed her cheek and made smooching sounds that caused her to giggle. 

***********  
Several hours later, Joanna was dead asleep. Her head was in Bones's lap, feet in Jim's and the two men were watching her.

"I can't believe this." Bones began. He brushed a lock of hair from Joanna's forehead and tilted her head enough for him to see the black eye. "She really got into a fight. My little baby." He said and huffed a laugh.

"According to Ms. Winston, the other girl got the brunt of it. Apparently, I've taught her well." Jim's chest puffed out dramatically and Bones laughed again. 

"What did you tell her?" He asked.

Jim sighed and looked Bones in the eye. "The truth. That I love you, that I love her. That you and I both believe that if you love somebody, gender and race shouldn't count for shit." Jim raked a hand through his hair. "And I do, Bones. I love you with everything that I have, Joanna too." Jim smiled at Bones and Bones back at him.

"So, do you think we should homeschool her instead?" Leonard asked.

"I think that that would be a good idea. I also think that you taking off at least one day a week would be a good idea as well, Bones. She told me today that she liked me dropping her off because 'daddy hasn't been squeezing me as tight this week' and Bones, you don't know how bad that broke my heart." 

Leonard nodded and looked ashamed. He began to move Joanna into his arms so that he could take her to her bed.

"Wait," Jim gripped Bones' wrist. "let's just take her to bed with us. She needs to know you're not mad at her for standing up for what she believed in." Jim stood when Bones nodded and followed him up the stairs to their bedroom.

Once there, Jim crawled onto the bed on his side and began moving the sheets aside where he had kicked them off in the night. Once settled with all of the sheets and blankets, Bones laid Joanna in the middle of the king sized bed and crawled in after her. After several seconds of a cover battle in which Joanna won, the three of them settled in. Bones leaned down to kiss Joann's forehead, then over her to get at Jim. Jim met him halfway and their kiss was almost bittersweet. 

"I love you, Bones." Jim said before linking their hands across Joanna.

Bones smiled. 

This was his happy place.

**Author's Note:**

> leave kudos and comments please! anybody have a prompt they want done in McKirk family? leave a comment and I'll see what I can do!! Love you all...
> 
> PS: no Beta this time, so all mistakes are mine


End file.
